Ore-separator.



J. G. KIRKSBY.

ORB SEPARATOR.

APPLIOATIQN FILED rmma, 190s.

906,535. Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. G. KIRKSBY.

ORE SEPARATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED 2213.28, 1903.

906,535. Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l l l .o Jhfomcys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GIDEON KIRKSEY, OF CARTIIAGE, MISSOURI.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GrDnoN KIRK- SEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Carthage, in the county of Jasper and State ofMissouri, have invented a new and useful Ore-Separator, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to ore separators, and is especially directed tothat class of devices in which the ore or material to be separated iswashed over-the surface of a transversely inclined vibratory table andis concentrated according to its varying specific gravity, and isdelivered in its separated condition at the delivery end of the table.

The invention has for its objects to produce a device of this characterin which the ore, after iirst spreading transversely of the table instrata of varying degrees of purity, will, during the further separatingaction, be moved longitudinally of the table and, to some extent, inopposition to the current of water, and in which the lighter particlesof the material will, during this longitudinal movement, travel inadvance of the heavier' particles, be separated therefrom, washedtransversely across the table, and be concentrated in turn, while thegangue and other impurities will be finally delivered at the lower sideof the table. Thus the material will be delivered in a thoroughlyseparated condition, and the employment of conveying mechanism forreturning it to the table for a second treatment will be obviated.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel details of constructionand combination of parts more fully hereinafter de scribed.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through thesame on the line f2s-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation asviewed in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of one of the riffle strips. Fig. G is a detail view of theadjustable eccentric.

Referring to the drawings, l `indicates the main or base frame of myimproved separator, which has hinged thereto, at its front longitudinaledge, as at 2, a supplemental frame 3. These parts may be of anysuitable or desired material, but are preferably composed of wood, andin the form of rectangu- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28, 1903.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Serial No. 145,870.

lar frames consisting of longitudinal bars united at their ends bytransverse bars, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The main and supplementalframes have secured to the rear side thereof, as illustrated in Fig. Ll,wings l arranged in pairs and oppositely inclined longitudinally.Mounted between the wings are longitudinally slidable wedge shapedblocks 5 which are pivotally connected by rods 6 with an operating lever7 by means of which the blocks may be actuated to adjustably tilt orincline the supplemental frame transversely from its back toward itsfront for the purpose more fully hereinafter described.

Disposed over the supplemental frame is a vibratory table 8, preferablyof rectangular form, composed of any suitable material, and movablysustained by means of vertical links 9 pivoted at their upper ends tosills l0 which extend longitudinally of the under face of the table andat their lower ends pivotally mounted on transverse rods ll sustained attheir ends by the supplemental frame The links 9 are arranged in pairsand have interposed between their lower ends on the transverse rods llspacing blocks l2. In this connection it is to be noted that there arethree of the rods 1l and that each carries two sets of links 9 arrangedrespectively adjacent to the front and rear sides of the table, andfurther, that the rear links are of a greater length than the frontlinks, which imparts to the table an initial inclination downward fromits rear toward its front transversely, which inclination may be variedaccording to the varying materials treated by means of the slidingblocks 5 and their' attendant mechanism, as will be readily understood.

Secured to and constituting a vertical upwardly extending flange alongthe higher longitudinal side of the table is a plate 13, a similar plate14e forming a projecting flange at the front o1' receiving end of thetable, while the lower longitudinal side and rear discharge end of thesame are provided with similar plates l5 and 16 which extend downwardfrom and constitute depending flanges.

Mounted at the front upper corner of the table is a box or hopper' 17which is secured in any suitable manner to the table and receives thematerial to be separated and de livers the same onto the table throughsuitable discharge openings formed in its bottom. The material, which isdeliveredatf the higher side of the table, is washed transversely acrossthe same by water discharged from a suitably perforated pipe 18 whichextends longitudinally of the table and is connected in any suitablemanner with the vertical liange 13.

Secured to the upper face of the table in any suitable manner is aseries of guides or rifl'les 19, constructed preferably of wood, andwhich extend longitudinally of the table, and are disposed slightlydiagonally of the same from the lower side of its receiving end towardthe higher side of its discharge end, are uniformly spaced apart, and atthe receiving end of the table abut against a transversely and slightlydiagonally disposed rail or flange 20. The ends of the riffles whichabut against the flange 20 and which receive the material when firstdischarged from the hopper, are comparatively high and narrow and fromthe receiving end of the riftles gradually decrease in height andincrease in width toward the rear or discharge end of the table. Thusthe discharge end of the riffles is comparatively wide and flat, being,in fact, almost flush with the surface of the table when in positionthereon.

When the material is first delivered onto the table, it will be washedtransversely across the same and received in the spaces between therilfles, and, in its travel across the table, will be automaticallyseparated, owing to the variation in its specific gravity, into strataof varying degrees of purity, the heavier or purer ores settling uponthe table at its higher level, those next in purity and weight at alower level, and so on until the gangue and other light impurities aredelivered at the lower side of the table into a receiving trough 2l.After this first primary separation of the ore, the same travelslongitudinally of the table in its separated condition from thereceiving toward the delivery end of the table, and a further and morethorough concentration follows, due to the fact that the spaces betweenthe riftles converge toward the discharge end of the table and, owing tothe gradually increasing friction and compression of the materialbetween the sides of the riflles, retards the heavier and purer ores andpermits the lighter and less pure particles to travel forward in advanceof the same, and when these lighter particles reach a point of theriflies sufficient-ly low they are washed transversely across the tableand concentrate with ores of a similar quality at a lower level. A stillfurther separation of the ores results from the diagonal disposition ofthe riffles from the lower portion of the receiving end of the tabletoward the higher portion of its discharge end, which necessitates thematerial, during its longitudinal movement, travsill 22, and bolted tothe sill is a metal plate having depending ends 24-25. This plate issituated some distance from the receiving end of the table and hassecured to its depending end portion 25 one end of a horizontal rod 2Gwhich extends parallel with the table and has its outer end slidinglymounted in suitable bearings formed in the supplemental framework of themachine at the front end of the latter, the other end portion of the rodhaving clamped to it an arm 27 formed of two metal plates. This arm,which is adjustable longitudinally of the rod, extends vertically upwardfrom the same and has pivotally attached to its upper end one end of alink 28, which is pivotally connected at its other end with a verticallydepending arm 29 carried by an eccentric 30. The arm 29 of the eccentrichas also pivoted thereto one end of a link 31 which is pivoted at itsother end to the framework of the machine. The eccentric 30 is mountedupon and operated by a drive shaft 32 journaled in suitable bearingstransversely of the machine and provided with driving pulleys 33 in beltconnection with any suitable source of power. As the shaft operates, theeccentric will, through the medium of its link connection with the shaft26, reciprocate the latter longitudinally and impart to the table S avibratory reciprocating motion which,

owing to the connection of the shaft to the table at a point dist-antfrom its receiving end, will be more thoroughly and equally distributedthroughout the surface of the table, thus insuring a uniformconcentration of the material under treatment.

In order to compensate for lost motion and a consequent irregularity inthe vibratory motion of the table, T secure to the arm 24 of plate 23one end of a rod 34 which has its other end slidingly mounted in a block35 iixedly sustained by the framework of the device and mounted upon therod between the block and a head 85 secured to its outer end, a bufferspring 36 which is Til normally expanded and against the action of whichthe table is reciprocated.

In order that the vibratory motion of the table may be suitablyregulated or adjusted according to the quality of the material undertreatment, I provide for a vertical adjustment of the eccentric 30relative to the shaft 32. For this purpose the end plates of theeccentric are slotted, as at 37, for the reception of the shaft, and arefurther slotted, as at 3S, for the reception of adjusting bolts 39connected at their inner ends to an inner adjusting member 40 disposedupon the interior of the eccentric and are perforated, as at 4l, toreceive the shaft. From this it will be seen that by operating the bolts39 in their slots 3S to adjust the members 40, the eccentric may bemoved to vary its eccentricity relative to the shaft, thus varying itsthrow and consequently the longitudinal reciprocation of rod 26 and thetable, which can consequently be adjusted to a nicety.

It will be noted that the table utilized in the present construction isof uniform thickness and that the riftles are fastened upon the upperflat face of the table. The top of the table forms the bottom of thegrooves, whereas the edges of the riftles con stitute the side wallsthereof. By providing ritl'les which are fastened to the top of thetable it is not necessary to go to the expense of constructing a specialform of table. Rifl'les of the construction shown and described can bereadily attached upon the flat surface of any table. These ritlles canbe made as articles of manufacture and can be substituted by the userfor riflles which are broken or otherwise injured upon the table. Itwill be noted that the bottom and top faces of each rittle are counterparts so that the riftle can be secured upon the table with either' facedownward, thus making it easy to manufacture and apply. Moreover, shouldthe upper edges and surfaces of the riflle become worn as a result ofconstant use the riflle may be detached and inverted and the worn facepressed tightly upon and secured to the surface of the table.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I produce a device in whichthere will be a thorough and perfect concentration of the ores, one inwhich the ores will be delivered in a separated and graded conditionfrom the discharge end of the table, while the gangue and otherimpurities will be delivered transversely of the table at its lowerside, and that, owing to the perfect separation of the ores attendantupon my device, the employment of conveying mechanism to return the oreto the table for a second treatment, and, in fact, a second treatment ofthe ores, is obviated. In attaining these ends it is to be understoodthat I do not limit or confine myself to the details of constructionherein shown and described inasmuch as various minor changes such aswould suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is l. As an article aritlle for ore separators comprising a flat elongated strip graduallyincreasing in width and diminishing in thickness toward one end, theside edges of the strip being straight from end to end and perpendicularto the faces thereof, the two faces of the strip being duplicates.

2. The combination with an inclined table having a flat uninterruptedupper surface; of a plurality of similar ri'l'lles secured upon anddisposed entirely above the upper surface of the table, said ril'llesbeing inclined upwardly toward the discharge end of the table and eachritlle comprising a flat elongated strip gradually increasing inthickness toward one end, the side edges of the strip being straightfrom end to end and perpendicular to the faces thereof, the upper' andlower faces of the riflle being duplicates, said ritlles forming groovestherebetween, the top of the table constituting the bottom of thegrooves.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN GIDEON KIRKSEY.

litnesses II. L. SHANNON,

IV. G. Moolen.

